It’s been a long time since the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy was this important.

I couldn’t tell you how many Michigan or Michigan State fans, or how many college football fans in general for that matter, would have predicted that both the Wolverines and the Spartans would both be undefeated heading into this week’s Big Ten showdown.

But here we are.

No. 8 Michigan State, which had a win total set at 4.5 entering this season, is 7-0 heading into Saturday’s showdown. 

Meanwhile, No. 6 Michigan is also 7-0, with the winner of this week’s clash still very much alive not only in the battle for the Big Ten’s East Division, but both the conference championship and the College Football Playoffs as well. 

I can’t wait to see who comes out on top in that one.

Meanwhile, No. 1 Georgia is set to meet Florida in the “world’s largest outdoor cocktail party."

While the top-ranked Bulldogs will be looking to improve to 8-0, a few more losses for Florida could put Dan Mullen firmly on the hot seat. 

Georgia will also have an added layer of motivation with a chance to avenge last season’s loss.

So how am I approaching these games from a betting perspective?

Here are my plays for Saturday’s college football slate.

 

#6 Michigan Wolverines at #8 Michigan State Spartans

Spread: Michigan -4

Total: 50.5

We don’t have to wait for the biggest showdown of the weekend with the Wolverines and Spartans set to kick off at noon on Saturday. Running back Kenneth Walker has provided the spark this Michigan State offence needed to surprise out of the gates with the second-most rushing yards in the nation. The Spartans also have a wide receiver that can stretch the field with big plays in Jalen Nailor, who will need another big performance to take some of the pressure off of Walker and the rushing attack. On the other side, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson can really get after the quarterback. The Wolverines’ ability to consistently generate pressure will be among the keys to them coming out on top this weekend. Meanwhile on offence, Michigan will lean on its two-headed monster at running back in Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum in what could be a potential slugfest until the end. Both of these teams have held their opponents to under 20 points per game this season, and with so much on the line I feel like this could be another low scoring affair. I’m not confident taking either side, but 51.5 seems like too many points. I’ll take the under.

THE PICK: Under 51.5
 

#1 Georgia Bulldogs at Florida Gators 

Spread: Georgia -14.5

Total: 51

The Georgia defence has certainly lived up to expectations this season, giving up less than a touchdown per game with no real weaknesses across the board. While Florida quarterback Emory Jones has shown flashes, I can’t see him moving the football through the air consistently against this defence. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if freshman QB Anthony Richardson sees some snaps against the Bulldogs on Saturday. Meanwhile, J.T. Daniels is taking full reps at practice for Georgia, but Stetson Bennett filled in admirably in his absence so it will be interesting to see how the Bulldogs handle their quarterback situation. Regardless of who gets the nod at QB, Georgia should have no problem running the football against a suspect Gators defence, while putting the pressure on the Florida offence to try to keep up. I think the Bulldogs continue to roll this weekend as they improve to 8-0 with another lopsided victory.

THE PICK: Georgia -14.5
 

Texas Tech Red Raiders at #4 Oklahoma Sooners

Spread: Oklahoma -20

Total: 66.5

Oklahoma got a real scare last week from lowly Kansas, but ended up securing the W on a great “Ed Reed” type play by Caleb Williams, who took the ball from his teammate’s arms and ran for a key first down to save the day. The energy around this Sooners team just seems different since Spencer Rattler was benched for Williams. Even in a “struggle” last week, the Oklahoma offence put up 35 points. Williams is a big-play, dual-threat QB that is capable of doing something special every time he drops back. Meanwhile, Texas Tech finally decided to move on from coach Matt Wells after a close loss to Kansas State. The Red Raiders have struggled to move the ball through the air in each of their last two games, as they were held to under 200 passing yards in both contests. I’m not expecting much better from them this week. Oklahoma needs a big win to continue its push for a playoff spot, with “style points” on the line here against a low-energy Texas Tech team that is trending in the opposite direction.

THE PICK: Oklahoma -20
 

UTEP Miners at Florida Atlantic Owls

Spread: Florida Atlantic -11

Total: 47.5

Every week when looking at the board I mark down a few spreads that stand out to me for one reason or another. This is one of them. UTEP is a surprising 6-1 straight up and 5-2 against the spread this season. This week, they will visit a Florida Atlantic side that has started the season with a 4-3 record playing in the same conference. So why are the Owls an 11-point favourite? 91 per cent of the public bets are on UTEP, making it the most public pick of the week. With a line that is way bigger than I expected and oddsmakers basically begging us to take the Miners here, the contrarian in me wants to lay the points. I’ll take the Owls -11 in this one.

THE PICK: Florida Atlantic -11
 

#19 SMU Mustangs at Houston Cougars

Spread: Houston -1

Total: 62

Led by Oklahoma transfer Tanner Mordechai, the Mustangs’ pass offence is one of the most prolific in the country. Mordechai hasn’t missed a beat since taking over for Shane Buchele this season, averaging 404 passing yards per game and tied for the FBS lead with 29 touchdown passes. Also, SMU will likely get talented running back Ulysses Bentley back this week. Bentley, who is averaging 7.4 yards a carry, can really be a difference maker for this offence. Meanwhile, Houston’s offence has averaged 38.6 points per game over its last three games. SMU has averaged 42.3 points per game over that same span. While the Cougars' defence has been really good this year, I have a feeling this battle of Texas could get wild on Saturday night. It could end up being one of those “last one with the ball wins the shootout” types of game. So let's roll with the over here.

THE PICK: Over 62